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More than half of Gaza’s dialysis patients have died amid the Israeli blockade and the collapse of the territory’s health system, Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, told Anadolu Agency.
The number of dialysis patients has fallen from about 1,400 before the war to around 600, largely because people have been unable to receive regular treatment, Bursh said. He added that thousands of people with chronic conditions, including high blood pressure and diabetes, had also died after struggling to access medicines and care.
Gaza’s health services “remain in collapse” despite a ceasefire, Bursh said. He said more than 174,000 people had been wounded since the start of the war, with each initially needing an average of at least three operations—almost half a million complex procedures in total.
Shortages disrupt treatment and hospital services
Medical stocks have fallen to dangerously low levels, Bursh said, citing shortages of 52% in beds and essential medicines and 56% in medical supplies. He said no new medical equipment had been allowed into Gaza since the start of Israel’s offensive.
Fuel and spare parts for generators have also been blocked, disrupting oxygen plants, electricity generators and ambulances, he said. A lack of operating-room equipment has made surgery extremely difficult, while shortages of medicines, supplies and fuel are also affecting patients who need ongoing care.
In September, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported continuing shortages of medicines for chronic illnesses, including supplies used to treat kidney disease. The shortages have caused complications in dialysis services, including blood transfusions, and led to the suspension of most catheterization procedures.
More than 20,000 people need medical evacuation
More than 20,000 patients and wounded people urgently need to leave Gaza for treatment, Bursh said. He said arrangements for about 300 patients to depart each day had not been implemented, with only around 25 currently allowed to leave daily.
Israel reopened the Rafah crossing on Feb. 2 under strict restrictions, after occupying it since May 2024. UN figures released in April showed that more than 18,500 patients required medical evacuation, including about 4,000 children.
Bursh said Israel continues to detain 88 specialist doctors, including senior surgeons and other prominent medical professionals. He named Mohammad Obeid, Hussam Abu Safiya and Ghassan Abu Zahri among those detained, and said preventing foreign medical teams from entering Gaza had further worsened the shortage of health workers.
He called for international pressure to allow medicines and equipment into Gaza, restore hospitals, enable medical staff to return and approve the evacuation of wounded people. Bursh also said several hospitals are in areas under Israeli control or facing active hostilities.
He said Israel had killed more than 1,460 Palestinians and wounded more than 5,160 since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10, 2025. The agreement also requires crossings to be fully opened and agreed amounts of food, humanitarian and medical aid, and fuel to enter Gaza, he said.
Gaza has had no regular electricity since Oct. 8, 2023, according to the report. Israel has blockaded the enclave since 2007. Palestinian figures cited in the report say more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 175,000 injured since October 2023, while about 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed.
About 2.15 million of Gaza’s roughly 2.4 million Palestinians are now homeless, the report said, including more than 800,000 people living in tents it described as unfit for human habitation.
